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Zazu
Zazu is a feisty red-billed hornbill who first appeared in the Disney's 1994 film the Lion King and its sequels. He serves as majordomo to Mufasa, Scar, and Simba. Zazu has had several voice actors portray him. Rowan Atkinson voices the character in the Lion King, while Edward Hibbert voices him in the 1998-2004 sequels in the saga. Michael Gough voices Zazu in its 1995-99 television series Timon and Pumbaa. Jeff Bennett provides Zazu's singing voice during the "Morning Report" sequence on the Platinum Edition of the Lion King DVD. The Lion King As King Mufasa's majordomo and close friend (he is one of the few who call Mufasa by his name), he is very serious and always sticks to the rules. He is first seen in the film during the opening sequence in which Simba is presented. He later confronts Scar on his absence from the ceremony and is almost eaten by him until Mufasa arrives. When Scar leaves, Zazu humorously suggests to Mufasa that Scar would make an excellent rug. When Simba has grown into a cub, Zazu is often ridiculed by him, being the target in Simba's pouncing lessons. He is ordered to watch over the cubs by Sarabi when Simba claims he wants to go to the waterhole with Nala. In fact, Simba had been lured by Scar to go to the Elephant Graveyard, and after the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", Simba and Nala successfully lose Zazu and go to the graveyard. Zazu later catches up with them, but they encounter the three hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed and the hornbill is put into the hyenas' "birdie boiler" geyser which rockets him up to the sky. Zazu manages to find Mufasa and lead him to the cubs, just in time to save them from the hyenas, although it is also implied shortly after the hyenas fled that, in addition to his being upset with Simba for deliberately disobeying him by going to the Elephant Graveyard, Mufasa was also upset at Zazu for failing to keep watch on them. However, in the script he reassures Zazu that it wasn't his fault. During the wildebeest stampede engineered by Scar to kill Mufasa and Simba, it is Zazu who leads Mufasa to Simba. As he watches the stampede, he wants to go back for help, but is struck by Scar into a wall and rendered unconscious. After Simba runs away, Zazu does not appear much. He also briefly appears in a scene after Scar has assumed the kingship of the Pride Lands. In this scene, Zazu is imprisoned and is being forced to entertain Scar by singing songs like "Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen" and "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" (but not before briefly singing the lyrics of It's a Small World). When the hyenas come in to complain about the lack of food and water, Scar casually tells them to eat Zazu (although Scar also likely suggested to the Hyenas that they eat Zazu specifically as revenge for Zazu earlier mentioning Mufasa in a favorable light compared to Scar under his breath), and he frantically insists that he'd be "so tough and gamey and eyugh!" although the Hyenas ultimately decide not to eat him, unknowingly agreeing with Zazu about Mufasa being better. Later on, Simba returns to reclaim his throne. Simba, the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki battle the hyenas. Zazu pleads Timon to let him out of the ribcage he is imprisoned in, but Timon goes inside the ribcage instead as he is pursued by the hyenas. Pumbaa comes to the rescue and chases away the hyenas after Banzai accidentally insults him. Zazu is freed along with Timon, but it is unknown if he stays away from or joins the battle. Later, Zazu is seen at Simba's ascension to the throne and during the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub. The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride Zazu plays a minor role in the film, functioning mostly as a messenger. He is first seen at Kiara's presentation, signaling that everyone has gathered. He is next seen when Simba is lecturing Kiara before she goes out to play, and Zazu mentions the dangers of the Outsiders, calling them backstabbing and murderous. Sometime later when a wildfire starts, Zazu is sent ahead by Simba to find Kiara, who had been out on her first solo hunt. When Zazu finds that Kiara is being rescued by Kovu, he reports the information back to Simba. After Kovu asks to join the pride, Zazu notes that royal protocol demands that debts (such as the one Simba owes Kovu for rescuing Kiara) must be repaid, though Zazu would be quite happy to make an exception. Later, after Simba is injured in an ambush by Zira and the Outsiders, he is sent by Kiara to find help. Finally, near the end of the film, he appears in a panic, reporting that the Outsiders are preparing to attack. In the end, Zazu is seen standing next to Timon and Pumbaa at the presentation of Kiara and Kovu's wedding to which Timon and Pumbaa start crying with happiness and Zazu covers himself from the wetness of their tears. The Lion Guard In the animated series, Zazu is presented as a crucial part of Simba's life as King of the Pride Lands, serving as the lion's advisor and mentor, of sorts. Though they share a healthy relationship, now that Simba is an adult, their interactions occasionally echo that displayed during Simba's childhood, with Zazu giving words of advice to the lion, only to be met with a response of childish annoyance. This is prominently displayed throughout the episode "Can't Wait to be Queen", where Simba, Nala, and Zazu travel to a funeral being held for an elderly elephant who was a good friend to Simba. Zazu, throughout the events of the episode, is shown to have become far more patient and optimistic, though still pompous and talkative, much to Nala's amusement. Simba often looks to Zazu for guidance and sees him as a confidante, which the hornbill prides himself as. In "The Savannah Summit", Zazu accompanies Simba and other leaders within the Pride Lands to a summit discussing ways of bettering the kingdom for all species. In during which, he finds himself in the middle of an inssue between a rhino and a baboon, much to Rafiki's amusement. In "The Morning Report", Scar (having returned as a fiery spirit with hopes of ruling the Pride Lands) sends his new hyena lackeys to capture and interrogate Zazu so that they may learn Simba's strengths and weaknesses. Zazu cleverly keeps from relaying any useful information long enough for the Lion Guard to rescue him. House of Mouse In the episode "Donald's Pumbaa Prank" he was kidnapped by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed and nearly eaten. He also makes a few cameos in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse seen alongside Rafiki and the others from the film. Category:Birds Category:Characters Category:Heroes Category:Toucans Category:The Lion King Characters